Agenda and minutes

The Chair introduced himself to everyone and welcomed everyone to the meeting. He introduced the Beat Officer Jack Darby. Officer Darby provided the following Police Update for tonight`s meeting:

·         There have been incidents of Anti-Social Behaviour around the Town and the designing out of crime around the Bell Street area.

·         There is continuing work to install CCTV cameras. More staff have taken up later working shifts to cover Anti-Social Behaviour. Four young people are on Unacceptable Behaviour Contracts. This number is set to increase to six.

·         Officer Darby concluded that, it was an identified number of young people raising concern and the Police are taking steps to deal with this.

·         Residents were advised to store Wheelie Bins to the rear of properties to reduce Dustbin fires.

·         A Safeland app is available to Shopkeepers. It allows Shopkeepers to be alerted to criminals working in the Town. The app supports the Police to address crime.

·         The Officer drew Residents attention to the Neighbourhood link Scheme. Residents were encouraged to sign up to Neighbourhood Link. They were advised that their personal details will not be shared with third parties. The sharing of personal information is covered under GDPR (General Data Protection Register) Rules.

·         Neighbourhood Link is a free messaging system. It sends out alerts across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Messages can be accessed by: text, telephone and email. Messages can also be received about Crime Stoppers, Action Fraud and www.NHUK.co.uk.

·         Trick or Treat Posters are available from the Police Force`s website and Wigston Police station.

·         The Chair met with Police Inspector Michael Cawley. They discussed crime statistics in relation to the Borough. Crime in Wigston is low. Crime figures for South Wigston are the lowest in the Borough. The crime figure in Evington is twice as high when compared to Oadby.

Action:

Provide Officer Darby with the contact details for Councillor Michael Charlesworth.

Action:

Officer Darby is to report back at the next meeting whether the person who placed graffiti on the Thythorn Centre walls has been caught.

Minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as a true record subject to the following amendment. On page 5 change the following sentence;

“ Change in the layout of the Wigston Swimming Bath pool lanes” to read, ”Change in the layout of Parklands Swimming Bath Pool Lanes”.

The reference is to Parklands Swimming Pool not Wigston Swimming Pool. The Chair advised that those persons wishing to see the swimming pool lanes sectioned off should speak to the Swimming Pool Manager. The swimming pool is private property.

Page 2:   Recycling and Waste Management Officers have been invited to tonight’s meeting.

Page 2:   With regards to the new build housing, Redrow is building on this site. Redrow Homes is developing the Kilby Bridge housing. New Wigston Meadows housing is being built by Barratt Homes.

Page 4:   The Chair is awaiting clarification from the County Council on whether the suggestion to dissuade people from parking on verges is doable.

Page 4:   Wigston Historical Society has received the Resident Forum award of £200.

Page 5:   The Chair has spoken to representatives of Wigston Civic Society and Wigston Historical Society regarding the safety of the trees at Wistan Church. The Local Authority Tree Officer has stated that, there are no significant visual indicators to suggest the trees are unsafe. Some of the trees have been taken down. There is ongoing discussion regarding the trees. In the near future some of the trees are to be lopped. The churchyard remains closed. The Chair met with the Rector today to discuss the matter.

Page: 5   The Chair spoke to the County Council about the state of the road surface on Carlton Road. He has received a reference number having pursued this issue. There is a computerised system for cleaning the drain by the Freer Centre. The drain cannot cope with leaves falling.

Page 6:   A representative of the local Fire Service has been invited to attend this evening’s meeting. He is to make a verbal presentation.

The Lions Group has organised the 2019 Light Switch-on event.

The shop window competition is once again being organised following on from the 2018 success.

The Town Centre Manager continues to try and increase interest in the letting of empty shops in Wigston and encouraging sign-up to the Farmer’s Market stalls.

For the tenth year running the Borough has received an East-Midlands in Bloom gold medal.

The Loyalty Scheme now has 1,500 members. The funds raised goes towards funding projects and competitions. One example of this is the purchase of planters placed around the Borough. All the plants supplied for the planters require volunteers to weed and water them.

New Loyalty Cards will be on sale from December 1^st 2019.

Due to computer issues, Grange Farm will be no longer be accepting Loyalty Cards.

Loyalty Cards can be purchased from: Zeph’s Café, Oadby, the café at Brocks Hill Conservation Park and Centre and Oadby and Wigston Borough Council’s Customer Service Centre, Bell Street, Wigston.

Volunteers are wanted to help deliver the Pride of the Borough pamphlet. Volunteers can contact Pride of the Borough for more information by phoning: 07874 228491 or emailing: potb.oadbywigston@gmail.com.

The local Fire Service representative shared the following information:

The current service is now called Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service. Calls received between 4pm and 12pm midnight is the most crucial period. The Service offers home safety checks. This can lead to the installation of smoke alarms.

The home fire safety check is a service which offers people advice on how to prevent fires and what to do in the event of a fire. It is carried out by Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service and its partners and takes place at a person’s home. It lasts approximately half an hour. As part of this service, smoke alarms may be fitted and subsequent maintenance and replacement of these becomes the responsibility of the homeowner. Smoke alarms are not provided as a matter of course.

The Fire and Rescue Service only target their visits at people and places where they know there is a higher risk of fire. The information supplied in the application process will help the Service to determine the risk. For anyone concerned that their home may be at risk of fire or know someone who they think needs help, they are advised to complete a form to request a visit.

Visits from the Fire Service can generate visits to the Flu Clinic to promote their role. The Fire and Rescue Service is not qualified to provide information about gas leaks. Fire Service data on which groups of people require fire safety information is being updated.

People with poor eyesight and poor hearing can be referred to the Fire Service to be provided with fire and carbon monoxide alarms. The Fire Officer requested those present at tonight’s meeting record details of those deemed to be vulnerable for referral to receive a home safety check. To apply for a fire safety check click on the following link to access an application form.https://lfrs.egressforms.com/Form/HomeFireSafetyCheck

The Chair gave a presentation on the work of the Environment Working Group. This was followed by two presentations on Recycling and Volunteering in the Borough.

The Chair provided a verbal Update. This was supported by a paper outlining details of the Council’s Environment Strategy and Action Plan. This Working Group has 18 priorities for action. These include:

·         Ensuring new Council buildings and Council housing properties are energy efficient.

·         Reducing the overall Council carbon footprint at the main Council offices.

·         Ensuring Council vehicles are energy efficient.

·         Promoting the purchase of new Ultra-Low Emission taxi vehicles.

·         Encouraging sustainable transport, including encouraging schools to take up Sustainable Travel Initiatives.

·         Reducing the use of paper and plastics.

·         Developing a procurement strategy to maximise use of sustainable materials.

·         Raising awareness of initiatives and opportunities to support and encourage a cleaner environment for our residents.

·         Providing educational opportunities relating to the environment and engaging with nature.

·         Formally designating Brocks Hill Country Park as a Local Natural Reserve

·         Managing our parks to protect the countryside, preserve the local landscape and nurture wildlife.

·         Increasing tree planting.

·         Supporting volunteers who are working to improve the environment.

An Oadby and Wigston Borough Environment Working Group has been established. To request to join this Group email: oadbystakeholders@lionhearttrust.org.uk.

Action:

Circulate the Chair’s Environment Working Group paper notes with the minutes.

Recycling and Waste Presentation

Following on from the Chair’s update on the Environment Working Group, officers Sallie Butt (Leicestershire County Council) and Jayshree Batha (Oadby and Wigston Borough Council) Officers provided an update on what can and cannot be recycled in the Borough. They presented on the revised and expanded list of what can and cannot be recycled. A question was raised on why local schools which produce some £2,000 worth of recycling cannot have it collected by the Local Authority. This waste goes into the general waste and into landfills.

Casepak is currently in the process of producing a video to show how its recycling plant sorts and grades recycled items. Once the video becomes available the Chair will request a copy to show at a future Residents’ Forum meeting.

Action:

S Butt stated she will provide feedback to the question raised as to why school recycling is not collected free of charge or its collection encouraged. It was suggested that this avenue of recycling could generate huge revenues for the County Council.

Action:

Circulate revised lists on what can and cannot be recycled generally and also over the 2019 festive season.

Volunteering Development

Oadby and Wigston Borough Council’s Marketing and Insight Manager provided the following update on volunteering in the Borough. A volunteering policy and strategy are in development. It will be completed by 2020.

Officers within the Borough Council are to be encouraged to carry out volunteering activities. Residents are to be encouraged to volunteer via the Council’s Citizen`s Panel. There are 1,800 students to be encouraged to take up volunteering opportunities across this Borough.

There is to be development of a scoping study. This study will  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

The Defibrillator has now been fitted to the entry wall at Elizabeth Court on Long Street. It has now been registered with EMAS (East-Midlands Ambulance Service) for public use.

The Resident’s Forum budget remaining is £48,451.

No spending requests were received.

St Wistan’s Church & Graveyard

The churchyard is closed due to a wall having fallen down. The Parochial Church Council needs to decide what to do with the building. The congregation currently meets at All Saints Church. Repairs will amount to some £120,000.

The Church Diocese has the final say on whether to keep it as a place of worship or not. The Chair has met with the Rector and others to discuss what is to happen. Even if the building is repaired it has no toilet or other facilities.

A suggestion was put forward to use the building for community work. Residents will have a say in deciding how the building could be used. The building could be converted to create housing.

The buildings structure is part Norman and part Victorian. It is a grade 2 listed building. Various options for its use are being considered. It will not be demolished. Some of the trees in the graveyard have died.

Bungalow at number 37 Newton Lane, Wigston

The bungalow is in a state of disrepair. It has become an option for compulsory purchase.

Replacing of domestic household bins from the centre of pavements and kerb edges

It was reported that household bins are being left in the middle of pavements and not put back away from the kerbside. It was stated that there was a letter printed in the Leicester Mercury about this issue. This issue has been taken up by the Local Authority’s management. An agreement was said to have been signed by the bin men to put the bins back from the centre of pavements, however some residents expressed the view that this agreement has been broken.

The practice of leaving the household bin right by the edge of the kerb was viewed as dangerous and of great inconvenience to pedestrians and traffic. It was stated that bin men have also been spotted taking single bin bags of rubbish out of dustbins.

Saturday closure of the Customer Services building on Bell Street Wigston

An incident occurred in the Customer Service Centre which saw staff verbally and physically attacked. The Local Authority took the decision to temporarily close the Centre on a Saturday morning for a trial period. Saturdays were also low use periods by residents. The attacker has been apprehended. Other ways are being addressed to provide a service to residents.

Remembrance Services taking place in the Borough

All Saints Church Remembrance Service takes place on: Sunday 10 November 2019 at 10:45am.

Peace Park Remembrance Service takes place at Peace Memorial Park on; Monday 11^th November 2019. The service lasts for about 20 minutes. Refreshments will be served.

Age UK Armed Forces Veterans’ Breakfast Event

Age UK is hosting an Armed Forces Veterans breakfast event. This takes place on: Friday 8 November 2019. The venue is Age UK, 50 Paddock Street, Wigston. The event runs from 9:15am until 11:30am.

The Mayor’s Carol Service.

The Carol Service takes place on: Tuesday 26 November 2019 at 6.30pm.The venue  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

Community Action Project.

Thursday 6 February 2020 at 7pm.

The venue is, the Council Office, Council Chamber, Station Road, Wigston, LE182DR.